


Ice Cream and Coffee

by KatesSweetEscape



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-24 00:25:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19712590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatesSweetEscape/pseuds/KatesSweetEscape
Summary: Wonho is willing to sacrifice everything just so he could see you again.





	Ice Cream and Coffee

A cone of chocolate ice cream and a cup of hot coffee. 

Who would have thought, that those two things would end up changing his life forever. 

Wonho looked at the traffic lights, impatiently waiting for it to  change from red to green so he could finally cross the street that was separating the busy streets of Seoul from the entrance to Banpo Hangang Park. He couldn’t wait to finally get there. Or rather to finally get to you. He knew exactly where he would find you. You and your hot coffee and your chocolate ice cream. 

_ “What’s up with the chocolate ice cream and the coffee?” _

_ Gosh, why did he let his friends talk him into going over to you and just ask you this random question out of the blue? You must be under the impression that he was a complete weirdo. And who could blame you? He would have thought the same thing if some guy suddenly approached him and blurted out that sort of question without as much as a hello or a proper introduction. _

_ He really was an idiot. And all of this for-  _

_ You lifted your head and looked at him, scanning him up and down before your plush lips turned into a slight smirk. “Hello to you too, stranger.” _

_ Wow. You voice sounded almost like velvet and Wonho had a hard time focussing on what he even came over here to do.  _

_ “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.” He coughed a little and pointed towards his friends who were still sitting on the blanket near the riverside, watching them closely while having a small  _ _ picnic _ _ with soju and kimbap on this mild spring night. “I was just watching you from over there and…” _

_ “... you thought that it was weird that I was having ice cream and coffee at the same time, so you decided to come over?” Judging by your raised eyebrow and the tone of your voice you really thought that he was a complete nutjob. Great.  _

_ “Yeah. Kind of.” He scratched the back of his head. This was really awkward.  _

_ You smiled at him, slightly tilting your head so that the black eye you had was clearly visible under the streetlights that were illuminating the park bench you’d been sitting on ever since him and the guys had arrived about an hour ago. “And how is that less weird?” _

_ “Point taken.” Wonho laughed nervously. He was usually pretty good at flirting. Why did he turn into this clumsy idiot in front of somebody as breathtaking as you? “I am sorry. I just-” _

_ “It’s alright.” You laughed and he could suddenly feel a strange warmth spreading throughout his body, making him feel lightheaded and a little drowsy. “Nobody ever bothered to ask me about it. Most of them just stare at me. So I appreciate it that you’ve gone out of your way to come over and ask me about it instead of silently judging me.” You took a sip from your coffee before eating some of your ice cream, your eyes never leaving his. “Also, I can’t really be mad at somebody who is this good looking. Even though I kind of hoped that you came over to flirt with me.” _

_ He was a little taken aback by your confident bluntness. He’d thought that you were shy, since you’d been alone all this time unbothered by all the people around you. “Are you always this straightforward?”  _

_ “Absolutely.” You shrugged as if it was the most common thing in the world to just tell somebody that they were good looking. “Why? Is this making you uncomfortable?” _

_ “No. It’s refreshing.” He didn’t even have to lie about this. It really was refreshing since he’d often been surrounded by people that would lie and scheme before he had met his real friends. “So - what’s the deal with the ice cream and the coffee?” _

_ You lifted both of them up a little. “You are really curious about this, aren’t you?” _

_ “Well, I did come all the way over here to solve this mystery.” He took a step closer towards you, suddenly feeling a little more confident ever since you’d told him that you wished for him to flirt with you. “And my friends are waiting back there with 10.000 Won if I get the answer from you.” _

_ You bit your lower lip and leaned forward on the bench a little so he immediately squatted down in front of you so he could keep looking at that unique face of yours.  _

_ You lowered your voice, so that only he was able to hear you over the constant background noise of the park that was still very busy, even at this late hour. “If I tell you, what are you gonna do with the 10.000 Won?” _

_ He didn’t even have to think twice about it. “Buy you another round of ice cream and coffee.” _

_ You showed him a smile as radiant as the summer sun and he feared that his heart might have skipped a beat. “Is that your way of asking me out?” _

_ “Yes.”  _

_ “Okay. Then I’ll tell you.” You came even closer, leaning in even more. So much that he could clearly smell the perfume you were wearing while your eyes locked with his, dragging him into a world where only you and him existed. “It’s the best of both worlds at the same time. The coffee is hot, bitter and a symbol of adulthood. The ice cream is cold, sweet and brings back a lot of childhood memories. How could I say no to that.” You stretched out your right hand that was holding the ice cream, offening it to him almost as if you were inviting him into your world. “Wanna give it a try?” _

“Dude - Don’t just stand there! Move it!”

Wonho blinked in complete confusion before he realized where he was. He was still standing at the crossroads. Still so far away from you. The lights must have turned while he’d been lost in his memory. He put his foot on the concrete immediately, hurrying to get across the street while avoiding all the people that were headed in his direction, moving like a swarm of fish in the middle of the deep and dark ocean. 

He had no time for awkward run-ins and muttered apologies. No time for pointless fights over who bumped into whom first. Hell, he didn’t even have enough time to really look left and right before crossing the street. Not when he knew that he was already late. 

His steps were long and fast when he reached the sidewalk. Unlike the others around him he wasn’t here to take a nice midnight stroll along the riverside. He wasn’t here to listen to the singers with their acoustic guitars or look at the dancers that were constantly trying to push each other to new heights with their performances. He also didn’t come here to have ramen from the convenience store around the corner or to get some spicy rice cakes and soju from that nice old lady that had been running her little store by the river for over 20 years. 

No. Unlike all the other people around him who were just casually enjoying their Saturday night with friends, loved ones or just by themselves, he knew exactly where he was going. 

To a park bench right by the river. Very close to the famous Han River Bridge with all it’s magical lights and it’s ridiculously expensive water shows that attracted tourists and locals alike. To the place where he had first met you, all those years ago. 

He already knew that it would be crowded. People would be sitting on the stairs and some on the grass, looking at the lights and drinking cold beer while eating chicken feet. They would laugh and talk and whisper and flirt all minding their own business instead of paying attention to you. 

You…

_ “What are you thinking about?” You were sitting right across from him on the floor, cross-legged and wearing nothing but your underwear and one of his shirts. You were eating ramen straight out of the pot and you were surrounded by countless cardboard boxes. That wasn’t how he’d imagined your first meal after moving in together would look like. Why didn’t he at least buy tableware somewhere? But he’d been so busy with arranging the move that it had completely slipped his mind. Wasn’t he a great boyfriend?  _

_ He let out a deep sigh. He knew that you didn't mind. You were almost annoyingly modest so that it was very hard for him to spoil you as much as he wanted to. “Nothing much.” _

_ “Yeah right. That’s why you’ve been staring a hole into my head for the last twenty minutes.” You smiled at him before you came a little closer, your knees now touching his. “And you haven’t touched your ramen which is always a dead giveaway if something is wrong.” You put down your chopsticks and lifted your hands to his face, tenderly running your thumbs over his cheekbones.  _

_ Wonho closed his eyes, taking in your warmth, the smell of your skin and the feeling of your breath caressing his lips. He was surrounded by you. Enclosed by you. And that alone gave him the freedom to finally calm down after the stressful day he’d had. But still, he felt this slight sting in his chest. _

_ “Tell me, baby.” He opened his eyes again and was met with your tender glance that was laced with honest concern. “What’s wrong?” _

_ “Nothing. I just…” He cleared his throat before pulling back, gently catching your hands that were falling from his cheeks. He could barely express what he felt in this moment. Or what he felt for you in general. He’d only been with you for four months but he knew that he couldn’t ever express what he really wanted to say without it sounding overly cheesy and cringeworthy. “I just thought how lucky I was. That’s all.” _

_ You let out a soft laugh that made his heart ache even more. “I love you too.” _

_ He stared at you, eyes wide. You had never said that to him before. And he’d never dared to tell you that he loved you. He had always thought that it was too early. That you wouldn’t take him seriously, even though he was sincerely in love with you. “You don’t have to… I mean I didn’t say that-” _

_ “You didn’t have too. I know.” You took one of his hands into yours, lifting it to your mouth before kissing his knuckles, something you always did whenever he was holding your hand, no matter where you were or who you were with. “And don’t ever be embarrassed in front of me okay?” You looked him straight in the eye. God, he’d never get used to that open and intense stare of yours that seemed to look right into his soul, no matter how much he tried to hide. “I know the guys tease you if you say something sweet to me but just ignore them.” You held his hand even tighter, your fingers tracing the back of his hand carefully while you showed him a soft and almost shy smile. “It’s one of the reasons why I’ve fallen madly in love with you.” _

_ “Really?” _

_ “Really.” You nodded. “You’re my ice cream and coffee.” _

_ Wonho felt like his world had suddenly shrunken down to the size of this one room apartment on the outskirts of Seoul while time seemed to stop in this very moment. “What?” _

_ “You’re my best of both worlds. Strong exterior but a soft, warm and kind heart.” You leaned your forehead against his while still looking into his eyes. “So don’t ever be ashamed about something that I love so much about you, you understand? It’s you and me against the world, baby. Don’t you ever forget that.” _

_ He knew that those sort of words came naturally to you. That they were filled with honesty and sincerity. But he still couldn’t believe how lucky he’d really gotten when he’d taken on that stupid bet of Minhyuk that had lead him straight to you.  _

_ “Right. Just you and me.” He slung his arms around your waist, pulling you onto his lap and holding you close. He could clearly hear your strong and steady heartbeat right below his ear as he held you in his arms and suddenly he felt like crying. “Gosh, Y/N, you have no idea how much I love you.”  _

_ Your hands were buried in his hair as you held onto him with as much force and desperation as he did. “I guess about as much as I love you, Wonho.” _

Wonho felt a single tear running down his cheek but he didn’t even stop to brush it away. Who the hell cared about what other people thought about him, running along the paths of the park that would lead him to the riverside? Who cared if they talked about that buff guy who was crying while running like a mad man? 

You’d taught him that the opinions of others didn’t mean anything. That he only had to stay true to himself. And to the people he loved the most. So who cared about any of it? 

He sure as hell didn’t anymore. 

He ran even faster, taking out the pocket watch that had brought him here. He only had ten minutes left until midnight. 

That’s when you’d get up and leave to head back to your friend’s place. That friend that he knew you’d stayed with for about a week. 

He couldn’t let you leave. He had to get to you. He had to meet you. To talk to you. To get to know you. Even though he already knew every little thing about you. 

He knew how you scrunched up your nose every time he said something stupid. Or what a terrible singer you were and that even the shower head agreed with him because it had broken down once while you’d sung some Michael Jackson song. He knew that you had scars - both visible and invisible. But he also knew that you refused to let them influence your life in any way. And he knew that the edges of your lips would curl up every time you tell him that you loved him.

He knew every little thing about you. But he’d have to start from zero with you. And he would have to make you fall in love with him all over again. Because you didn’t know him. You didn’t even know his name. To you he was nothing but a stranger. 

But just like back then, he’d just have to change that. Just like that time when he’d walked up to you to ask you about that ice cream and coffee. Because he wanted to love you again. And to be loved by you in return. 

He wanted to fight with you over the grocery list and make up with you again five minutes later with a passionate kiss. He wanted to bring you your usual morning coffee and he wanted to kiss you goodbye when he left for work. He wanted to see you painting in your shared apartment again, bare chested and lost in your own little world with colors smudged all over your face and neck. He wanted to see you putting Changkyun back in his place and holding Shownu tightly in your arms whenever his world would crumble down again.

He wanted to live with you again. And this time around, he would listen. Truly listen. He wouldn’t lose you again. He would be damned if he did. 

_ “Have you lost your mind?” _

_ “Don’t be like this!” Your hands visibly tightened around your coffee mug, your knuckles turning white. “I was only making a suggestio-” _

_ “Yeah. A suggestion to leave our lives behind and move to Busan!” Wonho was still completely taken aback by what you’d just said. After three years by your side he thought he knew what was going on inside your head. But obviously he was mistaken. “What are you even thinking? You just found a job at that gallery and I am so close to getting promoted. We can’t leave now!” _

_ “I just…” You let out a deep sigh. You looked as exhausted as he felt from all the overtime work he’d done in the past few months just so he could move to a nicer part of town with you once he’d gotten promoted. “Wonho, I…” _

_ “You what?” He was frustrated to say the least. He’d never been this angry with you. At least not that he could remember. “Seriously, what’s going on with you lately? You are all over the place!” _

_ “It’s just…” You let go of your mug and brushed back a few strands of your hair that had fallen into your forehead. You looked very pale and the skin under your eyes had a dark shade of purple. But he couldn’t get himself to pity you right now. “I just really think we should leave. If you could just…” _

_ “No! I can’t!” He knew you wanted to ask him to just consider your idea, but he wouldn’t do it. It was just stupid. “Both our lives are finally on track, Y/N. Also both our jobs are here. The guys… our family is here. What do you want me to do? Leave them all behind just because of your best of both worlds nonsense?” _

_ You looked at him as if he’d just punched you right in the gut, your skin turning even paler. “What?” _

_ “That’s why you want to leave, right?” He scoffed. “Busan? A big city but right by the ocean that you love so much?” He shook his head no. That’s where this stupid idea came from, right? This had to be it. “You’ve told me countless times that you missed the ocean. But Y/N, you can’t always have the best of both worlds!” _

_ “Baby, listen. I think-” _

_ “No.” He wouldn’t listen to you. Not this time. You were wrong about this. About throwing both your lives away because of your longing for the sea. “I’ve done everything for you. I’ve never questioned your judgement. Not even once. So you’ll have to trust me this time.”  _

_ You got up from your seat on the couch and walked over to him, but when you tried to touch him he took a step back. He was too furious to let you touch him right now. He was basically trembling with anger.  _

_ He could see tears welling up in your eyes as you looked at him. “I do trust you. I just-” _

_ “You once said that I’m all you’ll ever need, right?” He crossed his arms over his chest. He wouldn’t be swayed by you. Not this time. “And I need to stay here right now. End of discussion.” _

_ “Baby…”  _

_ He cut you short, the hurt and anger forming the words on his tongue as he fired them at you like bullets. “If I am not enough for you, then maybe you should just pack up your stuff and-” _

_ “No.” You grabbed his wrist hard enough to leave bruises on his skin. “I am sorry. You’re right. It was stupid of me to even suggest something like this.” You sounded utterly defeated when you said those words but you let go of his wrist just to sling your arms around his neck. You kissed him softly before hugging him and burying your face in the crook of his neck. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”  _

_ He let out a low growl before hugging you back. He could feel that you were trembling and he gritted his teeth. The two of you had never fought like this. Not even once in all the three years that you’d been together. And he hoped that you’d two would never fight like this ever again. _

_ “I love you, Wonho.” _

Wonho stopped dead in his tracks as he finally arrived at the riverside. Everything was just as he remembered it. From the soft streetlights to the ugly dog, lying in the grass next to his owners who were lost in an argument about where to go next. Or from the couple kissing on the stairs to the homeless guy who was just using the little money he’d gotten from begging to buy a chocolate bar at the vending machine. Even the smell was the same. A mixture of freshly cut grass, a hint of the rain that was still lingering in the air ever since yesterday and all sorts of street food.

He really was back. Back in 2011 when he had first met you.

He took another look at the pocket watch in his hand. It was hard to believe that this little thing had brought him here. With it’s dull and plain silver exterior and the ordinary clock face it looked like it wasn’t worth much. Quite the contrary. It looked run down and old, but not in that highly demanded vintage way. Rather like it had been passed down from generation to generation without being handled with any care. But even though it looked worthless to others he’d given up everything for it. It had taken him four years to track down this Chae Hyungwon who was rumored to sell watches that would allow you to travel back in time. And when he’d finally found him after living four years in utter agony it didn’t seem that high a price to pay for a chance to see you again. So he’d ignored all the warnings of the innocent looking guy with the chocolate brown hair and the slightly devilish smirk on his lips and he’d just accepted all the terms and conditions without thinking twice before paying the price and sealing his fate with a simple handshake. 

The cost for one of these magical watches? His soul.

Wonho had sold his soul in the blink of an eye. Because he felt like there hadn’t been much left of it anyway ever since that autumn day when he’d lost you back in 2014.

_ “So everything's back to normal between the two of you?” _

_ Wonho was strolling along the streets of Guro-Gu towards the apartment complex he called his home while he was talking on the phone with Changkyun. He’d been off work a little earlier today because he had some really good news to tell you and he couldn’t wait to see your face when he’d finally be able to tell you that he’d finally been promoted. “Yeah, everything is alright.” _

_ “Thank God.” Changkyun let out a relieved sigh and Wonho smirked a little. Their youngest had always been incredibly fond of you. “Hyung, I really thought you two would break up.” _

_ The fallen leaves, that colored the streets in all shades of yellow, red and brown, crackled under his shoes with every step he took. “That won’t happen, Changkyun.” _

_ Changkyun scoffed. “You sound oddly confident.” _

_ “Yeah.” Wonho looked towards the sun and closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy it’s warmth. How long has is been since he’d last left work in the bright daylight hours? It must have been at least six months. “Because I’ll never let Y/N go.” _

_ “Gosh - I wanna throw up.” Wonho laughed at Changkyun’s disgusted tone before he opened his eyes again to continue on his path home. “Hyung, seriously. How can you be that cheesy?” _

_ “Must be my God-given talent or something.” He giggled when Changkyun faked a gag. “Okay, I gotta go. See you later at Shownu’s?” _

_ “When have I ever said no to gaming and beer?” Yeah right. Changkyun would never say no to that. “See you later, hyung.” _

_ “See you later, Kyung.” Wonho hung up and opened his text messages. You still hadn’t replied to his text, telling you that he’d be home a lot earlier than usual. But you not responding wasn’t out of the ordinary. He knew that it was your day off today so you’d probably be painting, completely lost in your own world while listening to your favorite music.  _

_ “Have you heard?”  _

_ Wonho lifted his head and stopped when he heard the whispered voices of two older ladies that mixed with the incoherent mumbling of the other people that were blocking the road.  _

_ What the hell was going on? It was the middle of the day. Why weren’t all these people at work? Or at least busy with some other stuff? Why were they standing in the middle of the narrow road, blocking his path to his home? Blocking his path to you?  _

_ “Yes.” Wonho tried not to focus on the older ladies too much that were standing only a few feet away from him. “Hard to believe that something like that would happen in our neighbourhood, right?” _

_ “Things really are starting to go downhill. Maybe I should really leave Seoul.” The older woman with the dark hair that she had carefully styled leaned in towards the younger woman but she didn’t lower her voice at all when she started talking again, as if she wanted the whole world to hear. “It just seems to get worse every year.” _

_ “Maybe you’re right. I mean a murder? Right here in our neighborhood and in the middle of the day?” _

_ Murder? Wonho looked towards the crowd again that was blocking the road. But then he finally saw it. The emergency lights on top of a police car. Some policemen were holding back the crowd with stern expressions on their faces. He didn’t know why, but suddenly he felt his stomach clenching up, as if it tried to contain a heavy stone that was weighing him down. Strangely enough it felt like some sort of presentiment.  _

_ Nonsense. Just because he was only a few streets away from his home didn’t mean that you were the victim, right? You were probably sitting in your shared apartment painting, lost in your own little world. That must be it.  _

_ “Did you know the victim? I’ve heard that…” _

_ Wonho’s feet were moving on their own. They carried him towards the police cordon instead of away from it and towards the back alleys that would allow him to go home, even though he’d have to take a little detour. He didn’t even realize that he was pushing people aside who were complaining loudly as he made his way through the crowd. He only felt the chill spreading from his spine throughout his whole body while the lump, that was forming in his throat made it hard for him to breathe.  _

_ Everything would be fine. You were back home. You were safe. _

_ You were back home. You were safe. _

_ You were… _

_ When he reached the police cordon a scream of agony left his throat before he could hold it back. Because even though he was a few feet away from you and even though your body was covered in blood, he immediately recognized your face. Your face and your warm eyes that had turned cold as they were staring emptily into the distance.  _

_ He had no idea how he’d made it past the police officers or how he’d gotten on the ground right next to you. The only thing he could remember was how cold your body felt as he held you in his arms, pressing you against him while crying and screaming as he felt like his body, soul and heart were torn into a million little pieces.  _

He should have listened to you back then. When you’d brought up the move to Busan. And he should have seen all the signs. Because they had been there. Your sleepless nights. Your nightmares. How you avoided dark alleys and corners even when you were with him. How you changed your phone number every six months. Hell, even the black eye you’ve had when he’d met you had been a sign. But he’d just ignored all of them because you’d never talked about any of it. So he’d just ignored it, not wanting to overstep what little boundaries had been left between the two of you. 

But he should have. Then he would have known about your crazy and violent ex-boyfriend that had followed you all the way from your hometown by the sea to Seoul. He would have known about the stalking and how it had gotten worse and worse ever since he’d started working overtime. He’d have known why you really asked to move to Busan and why he should have left with you without looking back. 

But he never did. 

That’s why he had to bury the love of his life. And that’s why he’d been in agony ever since the day he’d lost you to a crazy lunatic that had been caught by the police only hours after murdering you in broad daylight. 

He’d spent four years finding a way to get you back. All his friends thought he’d lost his mind when he started talking about that urban legend of a guy who sold watched to travel back in time. They all thought that the overwhelming grief had just cost him his sanity. And maybe it did. 

But here he was. Back in 2011. Back to that one mild spring night where it had all started. 

Wonho was looking around the riverside, his eyes searching for your face that was so familiar and yet so unfamiliar. He hadn’t seen you in four years. What if he remembered something incorrectly? What if he’d messed up the date and the time of your first meeting when he’d told Chae Hyungwon about it? 

What if-

The thoughts in his head suddenly went quiet as he saw you sitting on that bench. Right there, where he’d first met you all those years ago. Before he’d even known that you’d turn out to be the love of his life. Before he’d known anything about warmth and comfort. About hurt and pain. About true happiness and the devastating agony of losing just that.

There you were. 

Alive. Breathing. And as breathtakingly beautiful as he remembered. 

He closed the pocket watch and hid it in his fist as he approached you with long and determined strides. He wouldn’t mess up this time. He would love you. He would care for you. And he would protect you so that he would get to spend the rest of his days right by your side. 

He stopped right in front of you and you lifted your head before you smiled at him just like you did back then. 

His heart skipped a beat before it started beating rapidly. 

There you were. He could even smell the faint scent of your perfume. Something he hadn’t been able to smell in four years. 

The smile vanished from your lips and you put down your coffee before getting up from the park bench and putting one hand on his shoulder. “Hey, are you alright? Why are you crying?”

Wonho didn’t even realize that he’d started crying. But he didn’t care about that. He was here. Back with you. Able to see your face, smell your perfume and feel the warmth of your skin. 

He was back. He was granted one more chance. And this time, he wouldn’t mess it up. 

“I’m alright.” He cleared his throat and wiped away the tears before he smiled at you. “So… What’s up with the chocolate ice cream and the coffee?”

[END]


End file.
